Electrophilic addition reactions alpha

Most reactions of carbonyl groups occur by one of four general mechanisms nucleophilic addition, nucleophilic acyl substitution, alpha substitution, am carbonyl condensation. These mechanisms have many variations, just a alkene electrophilic addition reactions and 8 2 reactions do, but the varia tions are much easier to learn when the fundamental features of the mechanisms are understood. Let s see what the four mechanisms are and what kinds of chemistry carbonyl groups undergo. 

Up to now, we have studied two of the main types of carbonyl reactions nucleophilic addition and nucleophilic acyl substitution. In these reactions, the carbonyl group serves as an electrophile by accepting electrons from an attacking nucleophile. In this chapter, we consider two more types of reactions substitution at the carbon atom next to the carbonyl group (called alpha substitution) and carbonyl condensations. 

Under basic conditions, the aldol condensation occurs by a nucleophilic addition of the enolate ion (a strong nucleophile) to a carbonyl group. Protonation gives the aldol product. Note that the carbonyl group serves as the electrophile that is attacked by the nucleophilic enolate ion. From the electrophile s viewpoint, the reaction is a nucleophilic addition across the carbonyl double bond. From the viewpoint of the enolate ion, the reaction is an alpha substitution The other carbonyl compound replaces an alpha hydrogen. 

The enolate ion is nucleophilic at the alpha carbon. Enolates prepared from aldehydes are difficult to control, since aldehydes are also very good electrophiles and a dimerization reaction often occurs (self-aldol condensation). However, the enolate of a ketone is a versatile synthetic tool since it can react with a wide variety of electrophiles. For example, when treated with an unhindered alkyl halide (RX), an enolate will act as a nucleophile in an Sn2 mechanism that adds an alkyl group to the alpha carbon. This two-step a-alkylation process begins by deprotonation of a ketone with a strong base, such as lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) at -78°C, followed by the addition of an alkyl halide. Since the enolate nucleophile is also strongly basic, the alkyl halide must be unhindered to avoid the competing E2 elimination (ideal RX for Sn2 = 1°, ally lie, benzylic). 

Like the aldol and the Claisen, the Michael reaction also involves an enolate, so the mechanism begins with the deprotonation of an alpha carbon. In the Michael reaction, however, the electrophile is not an ordinary carbonyl, but an a,P-unsaturated carbonyl. Attack of the stable enolate nucleophile occurs at the beta carbon of the a,P-unsaturated carbonyl (called a 1,4-addition or conjugate addition or even Michael addition) to give an enolate intermediate. Protonation at the alpha carbon of the enolate gives the final product, a 1,5-dicarbonyl compound. 

Alpha alkylation of hydrazones and Shapiro reaction in a one-pot process provides a versatile route to tetrasubstituted alkenes. The addition of 2 equiv of butyllithium to a trisyUiydrazone generates a dianion, which may be trapped at low temperature with different electrophiles such as methyl iodide. An additional equivalent of butyllithium generates a dianion species that decomposes at room temperature to yield the vinyllithium intermediate of the Shapiro reaction. This t)q)e of compound can react with different electrophiles as commented before. In this example, the final addition of paraformaldehyde gave rise to the tetrasubstituted alkene represented in eq 22. ... 

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